Living Night Lights
by schillingklaus
Summary: Dustin is afraid of a supposed monster under his bed. Zoey, Lola, and Quinn need to help him and circumspect the situation.


**Living Night Lights**

* * *

**Klaus Schilling**

* * *

**Rating**

PG-13

* * *

**Disclaimer**

I don't own _Zoey 101_ or any other show or work of arts.

I don't own _Living Daylights_ by whoever made that action movie.

* * *

**Fandoms**:

* * *

_Zoey 101_,_Drake & Josh_,_The iCarly Show_,_Unfabulous_,_Ned__'__s Declassified School Survival Guide_,_True Jackson VP_,_Victorious_,_Big Time Rush_,_Spectacular!_,_Best Player_, _Just Jordan_…

******Genres**:

* * *

multiplot gothic romance — Horror, Spiritual, Mystery, Fluff, Family, Friendship,…

******Summary**:

* * *

Dustin is afraid of a supposed monster under his bed. Zoey needs to do something about it.

******People**:

* * *

Dustin Brooks – Carly Shay,almost everyone from _Zoey 101_, many people from the other shows

******Timeline**:

* * *

post-series _Zoey 101_,_Drake & Josh_,_Unfabulous_,_Ned__'__s Declassified School Survival Guide_, _Just Jordan_, diverges during second season _The iCarly Show_, first season _True Jackson VP_, AU for _Victorious_, _Big Time Rush_, _Spectacular!_, _Best Player_

* * *

**Background**

* * *

The story is written for _LiveJournal_-Community _Paranormal25_, claim _The iCarly Show__,__Zoey 101__,__Drake & Josh_, prompt _Closet/Under The Bed Monster_

* * *

**Contents**

* * *

Chapter 1 Surprise

* * *

Chapter 2 From A Spark To A Flame

* * *

Chapter 3 Pampered Jade

* * *

Chapter 4 Cathedral Of The Damned

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Chapter 5 Horror Trip

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Chapter 6 Where It Hurts

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Chapter 7 Inspection

* * *

Chapter 8 Meganoid

* * *

Chapter 9 Finale

* * *

**Chapter 1 Surprise**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

one midnight in spring 2010

******Place**:

* * *

_101 Brenner Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky, Dustin Brooks

* * *

The girls had just returned from some "chick flick".

Lola was a bit upset by the fact that Ashley Blake,[1:1] little sister of Vince and rival of Lola, had been the main actress.

But this was had not been an obstacle to enjoying the film.

The twisted relationship between Lola and Ashley is a topic for later, anyways…

Lola lifted the blanket of her bed — the top bunk — and started to scream like a fury.

Zoey shook her head. 'How often did I tell you to refrain from practising shouting for an upcoming movie without warning?'[1:2]

Alas, Lola had not been practising.

Zoey and Quinn had no trouble verifying the reason for Lola's insensate scream:

Zoey's little brother Dustin had been hiding underneath Lola's fluffy blanket.

Zoey sighed with despair.

Two years ago, they had gone through a similar scenario.[1:3]

Back then, Dustin had feigned having been intimitaded by some horror film. But he had really just missed Zoey's attention.

Zoey supposed it to be like that even this time.

Quinn remembered as well. 'Shall I check his brain activity?'

Lola nodded vigorously. 'With small cuts behind his ears…'

Zoey poked Lola hard between the ribs.

Dustin shivered up and down. 'There's a monster under my bed…'

Zoey shook her head. 'There are no monsters.' Alas, she had to remember Charles Galloway.[1:4]

Lola coughed. 'Grow up!'

Zoey suggested to let Dustin stay with them over night. 'Tomorrow, I will go to Dustin's dormitory and check the space under his bed.'

Alas, this was no longer what it used to be,

Dustin had been growing a lot ever since. By no means was he any longer a little prepubescent boy.

For this reason, Quinn and Lola had to object more vigorously than back in fall 2007.

Zoey tried her last argument. 'You know that I would do the same for you!' Alas, she just opened another can of worms.

Quinn fainted. She had once mentioned her sister Camille, but not yet her half-brother Nevel Papperman who was really scary. _Zoey would hardly touch Nevel with a pole of 50 foot._

Lola reacted faster. 'Shelby[1:5] is a girl!'

'A tomboy,' thundered Zoey back at Lola, 'not even your mom could handle her, so your uncle-in-law had to adopt her.'

Lola gasped. 'Not all martial artists are tomboys! And she's still a girl.'

Zoey did not give up. 'What if she's homerotic?'

Lola blew a billowing cloud of brimstone and smoke through her nostrils. _Shelby had more than once been deemed a tomboy, but Zoey was the first to dare to accuse her of being lesbian!_

Quinn shivered with dismay. She knew that being urged to mention Nevel would cause her room-mates to tear her into microscopic smithereens.

Zoey continued, 'you haven't grown up with Shelby. How do you know that she is not a…'

Lola went through seven different shades within half a minute.

Dustin was still whimpering with dismay.

Quinn tried to solve Dustin's situation. She rummaged through her test tubes filled with incomplete results from numerous experiments. 'Here, Dustin, drink this and go back to your dormitory block! It is a strong tranquiliser that will help you to sleep …'

Zoey forgot for a moment about her struggles with Lola. 'Quinn! You won't do that to Dustin.'

Quinn protested. 'Hey, my experiments and inventions never go wrong.'

Too bad Zoey had learned something completely different from her experiences accumulated during four years of living near Quinn.

Quinn suggested a compromise. 'If Zoey tolerates Shelby here over spring break, Lola will also tolerate Dustin for now…'

Zoey agreed grudgingly.

'Not even Shelby may stop an ectoplasmatic appartition,' remarked Dustin.

'But Dustin has to sleep in Zoey's bed, not in mine,' claimed Lola with grim determination.

Too bad Zoey's bed was on the ground.

A monster might have been hiding there…

Dustin shivered with agony.

Quinn sighed. She took her wrist watch with build-in laser weapons. Then she zapped wildly at the space underneath Zoey's bed. 'The monster would be dead by now!'

Dustin was not so sure. 'Some monsters are immune to laser weapons!'

Zoey took her electric torch. Then she illuminated the dangerous zone. 'No monster… but'

Dustin was still afraid of invisible monsters.

'But what…' wondered Lola.

Zoey stretched her arm, grabbing something from 'neath her bed. 'Lola's old bra!' She coughed. 'It stinks!'

Quinn shuddered with excessive disgust.

Lola grabbed the malodorous thing and threw it through the window, hoping silently to cause it to land in Stacey's dormitory room.

Quinn, Zoey, and Dustin sighed with relief.

Finally, Zoey crawled under her bed.

Dustin trembled with fear for his sister, but he finally came to see that Zoey's bed was safe. He climbed down from the top bunk and snuggled his sister's blanked. Too bad, he also cuddled Zoey's plush squid.

Zoey wanted the stuffed beast for herself. She tore it off reluctant Dustin. Then she formed an auxiliary bed from a few bean bags.

Finaly Dustin fell asleep and started to snort like a power chain saw cutting through heavy planks.

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next morning

* * *

Sun came up from the hill braes, and it stabbed the sleep of the girls of _101 Brenner Hall_.

Zoey yawned with disgust as she noticed that the constituent parts of her auxiliary bed had been drifting apart. 'Get up, Dustin! You need to be back to your room before the advisers notice.'

Dustin trembled.

Zoey promised to check Dustin's bed in his own dormitory room with the same care as she had done here. 'But only after classes!'

Dustin grudged and moaned, but he slipped into his clothes and he left through the window, knowing beyond a trace of a doubt that messy dormitory concierge Coco Wexler was not going to catch him when he made his way gracefully through the shrubbery.

The girls sighed with relief.

Dustin would have been much more of a pain in the tail of the girls if he had stayed with them during their morning toilet.

* * *

**Chapter 2 From A Spark To A Flame**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next day, afternoon

******Place**:

* * *

_99 Schneider Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Dustin Brooks, Robert Carmichael[2:1], Zoey Brooks, Henry Nolston[2:2]

* * *

Classes were over.

Just as promised, Zoey walked into Dustin's dormitory room after classes in order to get him to calm down. 'OK, Dustin, let me show you that there's no such thing as a monster under your bed.' She was awfully tired.

Dustin shivered and trembled with dismay.

Henry, one of Dustin's roomies, had not heard yet about it. 'Which monster?'

Zoey moaned, 'Aw, Dustin is afraid of a monster under his bed. That's why he fled last night into my room… don't tell the advisers, though.'

Henry stamered, 'oh, I've got those nightmares, as of recent…'

Scooter, number three in Dustin's dorm, shrieked, 'a monster?' He ran into Zoey and hugged her tightlt around the waist, never wanting to let go.

Zoey gasped. _One little brother was truly enough. Did dhe have to be the elder sister of all the middle school kids?_ She moaned, 'may I now check the space under Dustin's bed?'

Scooter loosened his grip reluctantly. 'What if the monster junps out from below there and…'

Zoey shook her head. 'Monsters under the bed don't do that. Otherwise they would be called _monsters on the floor_ or something like that.' She wiped some sweat off her face.

Unto Scooter and Henry, this sounded like Zoey just having admitted that there were monsters under certain beds.

Zoey bowed down in order to check the empty space. She crawled carefully around. 'No monster so far!'

Dustin was not much relieved.

Scooter's teeth kept on shattering.

Henry scratched his head. 'What if the monster is invisible and untouchable during daylight?'

Zoey gasped. Her clothes were all dirty. 'Hey, you don't expect me to check the same thing again tonight?'

The boys trembled and shivered unison.

Zoey sighed with despair.

Things going on like this would lead up to Zoey having to check all the middle school dormitories.

That would be way too much.

Dustin sighed. 'OK, then I have to sleep in _101 Brenner_ again.'

'So do I,' squealed Robbie. 'Unless you make me a treehouse. Monsters under the bed don't climb up there.'

Henry chimed in. 'You won't leave me alone with a monster under our beds, will you?'

Zoey coughed. 'Do I look like a carpenter?'

The boys shook their heads.

Zoey sighed deeply. 'But there's impossibly space enough for the three of you in my dorm.'

Dustin, Henry, and Robbie pouted mercilessly.

Zoey was holding the wolf by the ears. _What to do?_

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

an hour later

******Place**:

* * *

cafeteria

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky, many other students (background)

* * *

Quinn and Lola had already been waiting for Zoey.

The blonde sighed. 'You don't mind Dustin and his roomies staying with us over noght, do you?'

Her voice was sarcastic.

Lola and Quinn were consternated. 'No way!'

Zoey sighed. 'Thing is… they are all afraid now.'

Quinn remarked, 'good job, Zoey!'

Lola applauded, not recognising the sarcastic context of Quinn's remark.

Zoey moaned with excessive despair, 'but we have to do something about the boys' fears… Lola would do the same for her Shelby.'

Quinn and Lola sighed.

A minute later, Quinn suggested, 'OK, Zoey… just go and sleep in Dustin's dorm tonight. The boys will calm down as you serve them like a living night light.'

'But what if Scooter and Henry are weird?' objected Lola.

Zoey sighed. 'Maybe they are… Scooter is certainly crazy. But Henry?'

Quinn grunted, 'have you got a better idea?'

Lola shrugged helplessly.

Zoey remarked, 'OK, I'll do it, but not forever.'

Quinn scratched her head. 'Hey, do you remember Trisha Kirby?[2:3]'

Lola and Zoey nodded painfully.

Quinn explained, 'her real name is Melanie Puckett. Her family is from Seattle. Her sister Sam has had lots of nightmares featuring a monster eating her soup. But as of recent, she got rid of them, because the elder brother of her best friend had done something.'[2:4]

Lola and Zoey glared aghast. 'What has he done?'

Quinn shrugged helplessly. 'I have to ask…'

'Do that,' commanded Zoey rudely.

Quinn sighed. 'I will,' promised she.

Lola and Zoey felt some relief.

Quinn aded, 'in any case: Don't let Chase, Logan, Michael, and the other senior boys now about it. They will only make fun of us and the middle school kids.'

Zoey and Lola nodded solemnly.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

_99 Schneider Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Dustin Brooks, Henry Nolston, Robert Carmichael, Zoey Brooks (phone)

* * *

The middle school boys were still desperate.

Dustin's cellular phone rang.

He picked it up. 'Dustin Brooks… hi Zoey!'

Zoey explained her decisions.

Dustin gasped. 'You mean Spencer Shay?'

Zoey shrugged. 'You know Trisha's sister's friends?'

Dustin, Robbie, and Henry were avid visitors of iCarly DOT com, a webshow hosted by Trisha's sister and her friends.

Zoey grinned. 'OK, I'm sure that "Spencer guy" will help you.'

Dustin sighed. 'OK, sis, see you!' He terminated the call.

Henry was not totally convinced. 'Spencer is cool, but he might make things worse.'

Knowing Spencer, Dustin and Robbie had to agree.

Robbie still wanted his treehouse.

Dustin scratched his chin. 'Stacey Dillsen loves woodshop… she might make a treehouse!'

Robbie sighed. 'She's a cotton swab monster… but better than nothing!'

Henry chuckled. 'And she lisps like nobody's business.'

Dustin also wondered whether there were people who were able to talk to ghosts.

'Maybe goths,' guessed Henry.

Dustin scratched his chin. 'So how about we're going to look for a goth on the interweb?'

Robbie and Henry nodded solemnly.

Dustin activated his laptop. 'Good luck!' He let his fingers dance on the keyboard.

Whatever, the following nights would be exciting.

* * *

**Chapter 3 Pampered Jade**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

early next morning, right before breakfast

******Place**:

* * *

_99 Schneider Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Dustin Brooks, Henry Nolston, Robert Carmichael, Zoey Brooks

* * *

Dustin woke up with a scream. 'The monster!'

Zoey yawned, wiping the sleep off her temples. 'Dustin!' She had to stand up and walk to her brother's bed.

Dustin trembled all over.

Zoey needed to hug hin tightly.

This was totally awkward.

Dustin was no longer the little boy he had been a year ago. He had grown for over a foot since Zoey's junior prom.

Alas, Henry and Scooter woke up the very same moment.

Zoey was consternated. Now she needed to hug those shivering and trembling boys, too. She shuddered with disgust.

But it had to be.

Dustin calmed slowly down.

It was — by all means — Zoey's worst morning ever.

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

afternoon, after classes

******People**:

* * *

Dustin Brooks, Henry Nolston, Robert Carmichael

* * *

During the break, Dustin had heard from Zoey about Spencer's upcoming intervention.

But the boys were now searching for a goth on the interweb.

Henry noticed, 'hi, that looks cool!'

Dustin read, 'Jadlyn West, _Hollywood School of Performance Arts_… wow, what a picture… all black leather…'

'She's hot,' caimed Henry.

Dustin gruunted, 'probably, but we're not looking for that stuff, but for help with our ghost under the bed.'

Scooter and Henry sighed.

Dustin continued, 'but that's cool, she likes cemetaries, dark music, dark clothes, dark… '

Scooter and Henry shivered along.

Dustin concluded, 'and she can talk to the dead!'

Henry sighed. 'That's what we need!'

Dustin, Henry, and Scooter decided unison to contact Jadlyn West.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

_101 Brenner Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky

* * *

Zoey was still horrified. 'It isn't fun at all to sleep in aroom with three younger, but rapidly growing boys, and a potential Charles Galloway under your bed.'

Lola and Quinn laughed heartily.

Zoey turned angry. 'Shut up, or you will be forced to take over!'

Quinn and Lola went pale.

Quinn remarked, 'maybe we should just play some mind-soothing lullabies for Dustin and his room-mates.'

Lola smilewd. 'Cool!'

Zoey shrugged helplessly. 'If we get some good music…'

Quinn beamed. She walked to her closet and unpacked her trombone[3:1].

Zoey wondered. 'is a trombone good for lullabies?' Alas, she was powerless to prevent Quinn from trying.

Quinn panted and started blowing the brass wind.

A sound of terror thundered through the hall.

Lola started squealing.

Zoey was angry. 'Thanks, but now I will get nightmares from that music, and from Lola's scream.'

Lola calmed down.

Quinn complained, 'what? my music isn't the best?'

Lola shook her head silently, yet with concvincing consistency.

Zoey remarked, 'I don't say it's bad. It just won't match with Dustin's tyaste.'

Quinn sighed deeply.

Zoey walked to her laptop and started searching. 'Maybe there are better lullaby players around.'

Quinn sighed. Actually she knew of one.

Her half-brother Nevel was a really gifted player of the piano[3:2] and the recorder[3:3]. But he was scary in many ways.

In addition, Quinn was not ready to talk about having half-siblings.

Zoey smiled. 'The winner of last year's lullaby contest…'

Lola looked at the screen. 'Megan Parker from San Diego… the queen of the oboe. She has even beat the Oboe twins[3:4] in last year's competition.'

Zoey smiled. 'I wonder whether she's related to Drake Parker.' She remembered Drake's gig from her first year at _PCA_. She had worked hard in order to make him perform.[3:5]

The band from last year's junior prom had been totally lame, and they were rumoured to have stolen their instruments from other people.[3:6]

Maybe Drake was to be hired for senior prom?

Lola swooned in an excessive manner. 'Drake is such a good kisser… or so they say.'

'And a total jerk, only Logan is worse,' added Quinn.

Lola sighed. 'I wouldn't mind him to be my jerk.'

Zoey shrugged helplessly. 'If they are related, we may even get a double strike: A decent band for prom, and a quiet Dustin.'

Lola nodded.

Quinn remarked, 'Megan can't be better than Nevel!'

Zoey gasped. She wondered, 'nevel who? What?'

Quinn banged her head against the wall. _Oh no! Had she just mentioned that name? Was there a way of getting out of there without admitting to having a half-brother?_ Quinn stammered, 'Nevel is just a guy in Seattle who plays the piano and the recorder.'

Zoey shruygged. 'Oh, when Spencer comes to town, maybe he can take Nevel along with him.'

Quinn coughed. 'Hardly…'

Nevel hated Spencer, and vice versa.

Lola and Zoey did not yet know about that.

Quinn was too proud of Nevel to mention his obnoxious activitues against Carly, Freddie, and Sam. 'Nevel Papperman has just not got the time, that's it…'

Zoey shrugged. _That sounded plausible. Seattle was not just around the corner._

Quinn wiped a cataract of steaming sweat off her face.

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next evening

******Place**:

* * *

lounge of _101 Brenner Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Jadlyn West, Zoey Brooks, many other students (background)

* * *

Jade West entered the lounge. Clad in black cloth, she was looking around. 'Hey,' growled she obnoxiously, 'I'm looking for a little shitter named Dustin Brooks…'

Zoey was consternated, 'don't talk like that about my brother!' _That arrogant goth deserved a kick into the next century._

Jade glared at Zoey. 'He needs me in order to talk to some ghost under his bed.'

Zoey gasped. _Dustin had been looking for some sort of help, but this was definitely not much of one…_ Alas, she knew about different ways for Jade to get informations telling her how to reach Dustin's dorm. 'OK, he's there…' She made a little sketch. 'You can't miss him…'

Jade "thanked" Zoey and walked out.

Of course, Zoey could not leave Dustin in the hands of a goth freak. She was going to tell Quinn to watch Dustin's room from the outside, using her quinnoculars[3:7], which was _some improved telescope set_. She didn't like what was going on. _But what if it was the only chance?_ She did not hope anything like that. But she had not hoped for Charles Galloway's ghost to hunt her and her friends all over the campus, either.

* * *

**Chapter 4 Cathedral Of The Damned**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next morning

******Place**:

* * *

_101 Brenner Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky

* * *

Zoey woke up. She wondered about Dustin's last night. She had not controlled him since the visit of the intimidating _Death Metal_ girl.

Lola and Quinn were less concerned. They were glad about not having had to think about Dustin Brooks for over twenty-four hours.

Alas, Lola had to make an important announce. 'Shelby will stay with us durin the weekend!' She smiled merrily.

Quinn and Zoey were shocked.

Lola grinned, explaining, 'you've agreed to let her sleep over with us. You had Dustin, I have Shelby. That was our deal.'

Zoey agreed grudgingly. 'It was.' She sighed with dismay.

Quinn was now even more disappointed, maybe even disappointed enough to force her roomies to bear and despair from thje presence of Nevel Papperman.

Alas, for Zoey and Quinn, the next weekend was going to be a nightmare even worse than those of Dustin involving the possible monster under his bed.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

Cafeteria of _Pacific Coast Academy_

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky, Dustin Brooks, Chase Matthews (later), Michael Barret (later), Logan Reese (later), many random pupils(background)

* * *

Dustin met his sister and her roomies right down in the cafeteria.

Zoey wanted to know about his last night.

Dustin grinned. 'I slept through the night,' he boasted, 'after some ritual performed by Jade…'

Zoey gasped. She panrted and moaned, 'a ritual? What ritual?'

Dustin started to shiver.

'What has the _Death Metal_ freak done unto you,' wonderd Zoey, 'Dustin? Dustin!' She was increasingly worried.

Dustin was not ready to talk. 'it's a secret…'

Lola asked, 'what freak?'

Zoey explained, 'Jade West… some obnoxious punk lass…'

'She isn't obnoxious,' replied Dustin, 'she's cool! She talks about this school being a cathedral of the damned, or the doomed, or something similar.'

Zoey gasped.

Lola chuckeld. 'There's indeed some dark-clad Jade West at my cousin Trina's school.'

Zoey grabbed Lola. 'You know her?'

Lola gasped with terror.

Her cousin Trina was no other than evil Rebecca. She had terrorised Zoey two years ago.

Zoey had forgotten about Rebecca.

Lola had never mentioned her again, let alone their relationship.

The reason for this fraud was simple:

Lola had instigated Chase to hire Trina as his girlfriend in order to make Zoey totally jealous.

Zoey was still clueless concerning this connection.

Along came Chase, Michael, and Logan.

Zoey did not want to let the boys hear about the thing with the monster under Dustin's bed. She coughed and moaned in order to distract them. 'Nice weather?'

Chase grinned. 'Sure! Don't we want to go to cinema?'

Zoey grinned. 'Yaeh , the weather is perfect for a visit to the cinema.'

Michael scratched his head. 'Sorry, I would rather play basketball outside, given such a weather.'

Zoey banged her head against the wall upon realising her previously uttered nonsense. She was still totally confused by Dustin's talk about the cathedral of doom, or stuff like that.

Chase shrugged, 'what do we want to watch? Some action horror movie?'

Zoey nodded solemnly. Actually, she had not even listened to Chase. Otherwise she would have screamed with agony. She just wanted the conversation to go on.

Lola remarked, 'cool news: Shelby will come over the weekend.'

'Who is Shelby?' wondered Michael.

Quinn answered grudgingly, 'Lola's baby sister!'

Logan grunted, 'I doin't care about little girls.'

Lola complained, 'hey, she's not that young, she's even a bit older than Dustin.'

Logan choked. He knew of some hot girls in that age. 'What does she look like? Less ugly than Lola, I hope.'

Lola glared at Logan with intense hatred. 'Shelbt Marx almost looks like me. But she is full of muscles. And no, she has not been adopted by our uncle-in-law. She changed her name because… she hates her Latina roots.'

Zoey and Quinn looked aghast.

Logan grinned. 'Who wants to be a Latina, anyways? They are so…'

Lola grunted at Logan.

Michael dragged his racist roomie away from the action.

Lola mentioned Shelby's career as a mixed martial artist. 'She kicks like a horse…'

Michael twitched like an idiot. 'A Horse? Half of my nose got destroyed by one horse's kick.'[4:1]

Quinn chuckled.

Lola mentioned, 'she also strikes harder than a Jackie Chun… or Bruce Lee… I can't tell them apart, although dad is a martial coach.'[4:2]

Zoey choked. 'Does he coach Shelby?'

Lola nodded solemnly. 'But she just refers to him as Coach Juan… you know, she hates her roots…'

Zoey sighed. 'That must suck…'

Quinn sighed. She had to deny her half-brother Nevel just for saving the family's peace. _That sucked so much._

Zoey was still consternated because of her appointment with Chase for a horror movie. She would have rather played tennis in the meadows.

But now it was too late.

Was she able to stand through all this without mentioning Dustin's fear of monsters under his bed?

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

evening of same day

******Place**:

* * *

_99 Schneider Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Dustin Brooks, Robert Carmichael, Henry Nolston

* * *

The boys were done with dinner.

Dustin had not been able to tell Zoey about Jade's dark rituals.

But Zoey had not allowed Dustin to let Jade ever repeat those things, regardless what.

But what to do upon expiration of the ritual's effects?

Dustin trembled with fear.

Jade had announced the return of the spook…

The grounds of _Pacific Coast Academy_ were doomed and cursed.

Jade called them _Cathedral Of The Damned_.

Dustin did not know why.

Robbie remarked. 'I've heard Shelby is hot.' He smiled mischievously.

Henry warned his comrade, 'Don't dare to get too close to her, she kicks your face into smithereens…' He trembled.

Dustin sighed. _A brute creature in front of the gates, and a creepy monster under the bed… It could not be worse…_

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

same day, two hours later

******Place**:

* * *

_Brenner Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Lola Martinez

* * *

Lola dragged Zoey across the hall. 'Come on, we're soon home.'

Zoey had already puked thrice in a quarter.

The horror movie had been way too tough for a delicate-minded person like Zoey.

Chase had to call Lola during the break in order to fetch her and take her home. Even he had not been feeling thoroughly well.

Zoey panted and moaned, 'it was so… terrible!'

Lola wondered, 'why did you have to watch it? Wasn't Dustin's nightmare bad enough?'

'And Shelby's visit will be a whole lot worse,' feared Zoey.

Lola looked aghast. 'Shelby is a nice girl.'

Zoey replied, 'a nice girl that recently mutilated the face of world champion Maya Feckner…'

Lola shrugged. 'Oh no, I forgot to tell Vince about Shelby's visit. He may have made planned our weekend by now, and he'll be thoroughly disappointed. And Ashley will use that in order to wreak havoc.'

Zoey didn't care. She was still trembling all over.

Fortunately, it had only been a movie…

The following night was going to make Zoey forget about it, wasn't it?

* * *

**Chapter 5 Horror Trip**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

a few hours later

******Place**:

* * *

_101 Brenner Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Dustin Brooks, Stacey Dillsen (later). Henry Nolston (phone), Emilia Brandon[5:1] (phone), Robert Carmichael (later)

* * *

Zoey had been falling fast asleep.

But this did not imply her sleep to be any good.

Lola was once more dreaming of a new rôle in one of Malcolm Reese's upcoming movies, supported by a band chosen by Arthur Griffin, the king of record producers in Hollywood.

Mr. Griffin owned in part labels such as _Rocque Records_, _Spin City Records_[5:2], _Revolutionary Records_[5:3], and Canadian _Cage Records_[5:4]. He was in turn supervised by some senile Japanese guy named Fujisaki, a friend of Malcolm Reese.

Lola's Canadian cousin Tamara Dyson[5:5] had recently landed a record contract with _Cage Records_.

Lola was so looking forward to her first music video to be shown on her favourite channel.

This anticipation kept her from worrying about the monster under Dustin's bed.

All of a sudden, Lola woke up. She screamed like a fury.

Needless to say. Quinn and Zoey were torn violently out of their sleep.

Zoey had not been sleeping well and just awoke from some potential nightmare. She was tortured by her bad remorses, having left Dustin all alone with his fears. 'Stop practising for your next movioe,' she commanded Lola.

Lola trembled, 'I'm not practising!'

Quinn grabbed her set of quinnoculars[5:6] and circumspected the situation.

This was a device invented by Quinn allowing for an improved vision, including night sight.

Quinn saw the shape of a certain boy of fourteen years. 'Dustin?'

Zoey yawned and turned the lights on.

Quinn had been right.

Zoey grabbed her brother. 'What are you doing here?'

Dustin squealed, 'the monster …. the nightmare!'

Zoey panted like a steam train and moaned vigorously, 'not again …'

Dustin explained, 'Jade's ritual had kept the monster silent for one night, but now it's back. It's your fault!'

Zoey shrugged with despair. She could not deny her guilt. She composed hastily an auxiliary bed for herself and let Dustin sleep in her own bed.

Dustin shivered when he wrapped himself into the blanket.

Lola wondered, 'Now Shelby will stay here for one more night, won't she?'

Quinn sighed with disgust.

Zoey had to approve of that. She nodded sadly. 'What are your roomies doing?'

Dustin answered, 'Henry fled to the middle school girls' dorm. He deems Millie able to protect him from the monster.'

Zoey grunted, 'Spider Stomp Millie?' She remembered a few heropic deeds by the tauntless middle school girl.

Dustin nodded. 'But Millie can't protect him. Monsters are not bugs.'

Zoey wondered, 'and where is Robbie?'

Dustin sighed. 'He came with me, but he has chosen another girl's dorm here. It's getting too full in here.'

Zoey nodded solemnly. But she pitied the victim of Robbie's nightly migration.

Suddenly, a scream was heard from one of the neighbouring dormitory rooms, followed by a lispy voice.

This explained Robbie's whereabouts.

Zoey wanted to take care of that. She opened her dormitory door. Alas, she did not have to walk any further.

Stacey Dillsen stood in the door frame. 'Oh Zoey, sorry for awakening you…'

Zoey shook her head. 'Lola did that before you …'

Stacey complained about Robbie Carmichael. 'He has scattered my pink cotton swabs.'

Zoey shrugged. 'I'll buy you new ones. But here is no place for him. Dustin is already haunting us.'

Stacey's teeth rattled like a snake's tail.

Robbie showed up. 'Build me a treehouse, please!'

Stacey gasped. 'Hey, does that mean that I'm useful for something?'

Robbie beamed.

Zoey nodded gleefully.

Stacey squealed with an excited voice. 'Yeah, my first real woodshop project! Robbie, you may sleep in my dorm as long as it takes me to build the treehouse. I have to order some special wood from Mr. Chopsaw, California's best woodshop teacher of all times!'

Robbie and Zoey sighed with relief.

Lola sighed. 'Chopsaw? That sounds dangerous!'

Suddenly, Dustin's cellular phone rang out.

Dustin picked it up. 'Dustin Brooks … oh, Henry!'

Henry appeared totally intiimidated. He shivered all over.

Millie appeared have taken over. Her voice was angsty, too. 'It's a green swirly mass … I can't stomp it like a bug.'

Dustin coughed with dismay. 'Green and swirly?'

Zoey was consternated. 'Charles Galloway was equally some green oozing gas …'

Quinn and Lola remembered with agony.

Was Charles Galloway back?

Shelby Marx was not going to be able to punch and kick a billowing green cloud of smoke and gas insensate.

But maybe they had gone all insane by now.

Zoey pondered calling Spencer Shay again.

Spencer had talked about some competent shrink that was most likely able to help even in the case of his dilettantic psychology failing completely.

Dr. Paxil[5:7] was a very competent psychiatrist from uptown Seattle.

Quinn knew him. 'He has cured one of my cousins from claustrophobia …'

Lola screamed. 'That's a disease that makes you fear people named _Claus_, isn't it? I think it's silly being afraid of people just for their name.'

Quinn looked at Lola with disgust. 'No, it makes you fear narrow and closed places.'

Lola looked dumbfounded.

Dustin giggled.

Alas, they needed to help Millie and Henry.

Zoey made a harsh decision.

Chase and his movie had caused her a lot of troubles.

Chase Bartholomew Matthews had to pay dearly for that.

Zoey told Millie and Henry, 'OK, go to _148 Maxwell Hall_. There will be one comptetent person to protect you from the monster.'

The connection was terminated.

Zoey cackled with glee.

Stacey and Robbie left the _101_ and went back to Stacey's own dorm.

But during the followiung day, Chase, Michael, and Logan were no longer going to talk with Zoey, Lola, and Quinn …

Millie's and Henry's nightly visit was not much of a pleasure for those "big boys".

* * *

**Chapter 6 Where It Hurts**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

Saturday morning, after breakfast

******Place**:

* * *

lounge of _Brenner Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Shelby Marx, Lola Martinez, Zoey Brooks, Quinn Pensky, Vince Blake (later), many random pupils (background)

* * *

Shelby arrived right on the campus. She had not seen her sister Lola in weeks.

Lola squealed when she saw her cousin. 'Hi!'

Zoey and Quinn shrugged. _They were really similar, inspite of being separated by three years._

Lola tried to introduce her cousin. 'Shelby has really beaten a Russian girl bleeding.' She beamed with glee.

Shelby was not proud of that. 'That's not fun!'

Zoey and Quinn nodded solemnly.

Lola pouted. 'Shelby should beat up that monster!'

Zoey moaned, 'Lola!'

Shelby looked aghast, 'which monster?'

Lola squealed, 'it's under Dustin's bed!'

Shelby was dazed. 'Dustin what?'

Zoey explained, 'my little brother is afraid of some "monster" under his bed.'

Quinn continued, 'it's invisible and untaouchable, but very scary. If you ask me, it's an ectoplasmatic appariction.'

Shelby thought of Quinn as insane.

Vince Blake passed by. He was confused. 'Lola? Lola?'

Lola chuckled. 'This is my little sister, Shelby Marx!'

Vince choked. 'The famous kickbox talent?'

Shelby chuckled carefully.

Vince sighed. 'Sorry, I had never any time to see you fight.'

Shelby chuckled. 'Maybe you want to come to my fight against Carly Shay, the show host that …'

Lola squealed, 'hey, I want to fight that Carly girl!'

Shelby grunted, 'hey, do you have to spoil it? You're going to pretend to be me, in order to avoid Carly getting hurt badly.'

Lola nodded solemnly.

Zoey shrugged.

Vince shook hands with Shelby.

The martial champion remarked, 'you seem to work out a lot.'

Vince smiled. 'Well, I'm the quarterback of a football team.'

Shelby grinned. 'My old sparring partner is still in hospital. Would you sub for him?'

Vince scratched his head. 'Why not?'

Shelby smiled.

Lola had a hard time hiding her acute fits of jealousy. But she was a good actress.

Nobody noticed Lola's feelings.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

_99 Schneider Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Dustin Brooks, Henry Nolston, Lola Martinez, Shelby Marx, Zoey Brooks, Quinn Pensky, Vince Blake, Spencer Shay (later)

* * *

Shelby and the girls from _101 Brenner_ stumbled into Dustin's dormitory room.

Lola introduced her sister to the boys.

Henry was still hoping. 'Hi Shelby!' His voice was flirtatious.

Shelby ignored the dweeb. She wndered, 'so … where is your famous monster?'

Dustin shivered, 'it always hides under the bed. Sometimes it appears at midnight. Once, a goth freak named Jade West caused it to disappear for a whole night. But now it is back. Zoey doesn't allow Jade to …'

Zoey explains, 'Miss West is rude and obnoxious, and she has got a very bad influence on Dustin!'

Lola nodded.

Shelby panted heavily. 'OK, let me see … which bed is Dustin's?'

Dustin pointed towards his bed.

Shelby unpacked her huge leathern mittens. 'Let's see …'

Dustin squealed, 'your kicks and fists will just go through it …' He shivered and clang excessively tightly to Zoey.

Shelby donned her tools.

Robbie disappeared through the door. 'Stacey needs my help!' He used this as an excuse in order to get away froim Dustin's bed.

Shelby bowed down. 'OK, wait …' She grabbed something.

A disturbing voice was heard from underneath Dustin's bed.

Zoey hugged Dustin tightly. She shivered as well.

Shelby pulled at something.

An ugly, furry creature appeared. It released horrible gurgling sounds.

Vince tried to hold the monster and prevent it from fleeing.

Shelby thubdered, 'Will you leave the little boys in peace?'

The monster choked and continued issuing ugly rumours.

Shelby kicked the ugly monster savagely in the guts. 'Take this!'

Quinn looked embarrassed. 'Sound like a normal flesh-and-bone monster, nothing ectoplasmatic like Charles Galloway.'

Zoey and Dustin didn't care.

Either of the alternatives sounded bad.

Henry cheered for Shelby.

Shelby punched the floundering monster's brute face. 'Take this!' She kicked his groin. '… and that!'

The monster reeled backward and whimpered in pain.

Henry thundered, 'Sock it, Shelby! Go, Shelby, go!' He beamed enthusiastically.

Lola noticed something strange. 'Why does this monster's fur have buttons and a zipper?'

Zoey gasped, 'Wait, maybe it isn't really a monster?'

Shelby looked quizzical. 'It isn't?'

Vince pulled at the zippers and buttons.

The fur opened, reveiling itself as a costume.

Finally, a young man appeared.

Dustin gasped, 'Spencer?'

Consternated Zoey asked, 'you know him?'

Henry nodded. 'The web show …'

Zoey shrugged. 'OK …' She had not expected Spencer to show up this very same weekend.

Spencer whimpered with escruciating pain. 'I'm bleeding to death!'

Quinn examined the poor artist carefully. 'Inner bleedings … I will perform some emergency laser surgery on you …'

Shelby had gone totally pale.

Spencer grunted, 'I won't let Carly fight against you! She's too young to die.'

Shelby cringed desperately.

Vince helped her. 'Spencer will survibve that ..'

Lola and Zoey treated Spencer's wounds upon Quinn's acribic instructions.

Zoey was infinitely sad. 'I'm so sorry.'

Spencer winced. 'You haven't bruised me all over, that fury did … she's worse than Carly's friend Sam.'

Quinn took notes in order to prepare Spencer's surgery.

Zoey wondered, 'why did you come without warning?'

Spencer sighed. 'I had to do in Los Angeles, anyways. Some freaks from _Dingo Channel_ have plagiarised by sister's web show. We are now living in 'Come On Inn'.[6:1]'

Zoey shook her head. 'Isn't that one dirty spelunc? Complete with rats, hoboes, and other crap?'

Spencer sighed deeply. 'It's where Sam's mother's surgeon operates.'

Quinn went pale. She was the one performing repeatedly illegal surgeries on people such as Sam's mom.

Zoey explained, 'No way will you and the kids stay there. Many kids are gone over these days. You may easily find a place to rest here on the campus.'

Spencer smiled.

Dustin beamed and blushed. He expected now Carly to come to the campus.

Henry asked Shelby, 'Have you already got a boyfriend?'

Shelby countered, 'no interest, unless you also want to be my sparring partner.'

Henry went pale. He did not want to get hit by Shelby's iron fists.

Spencer gave Zoey his cellular phone. 'Did Shelby smash it?'

Zoey shook her head. 'It's OK!'

Spencer asked Zoey to inform his sister Carly. 'Her number is stored in the address book.'

Zoey sighed and obeyed to Spencer's wish.

Dustin was more and more excited.

* * *

**Chapter 7 Inspection**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

Monday after, early morning

******Place**:

* * *

_99 Schneider Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Henry Nolston, Dustin Brooks, Spencer Shay, Fredward Benson

* * *

It had not been too hard to find a place for Freddie and Spencer to stay:

Robbie Carmichael had been fetched by his mom for the vacations.

This left a free bed in Dustin's dorm.

The vacancy was occupied by Fredward Benson.

Spencer snuck into the same room, using a provisory bed built from bean bags and spare pillows.

Freddie refused adamantly to believe in ghosts or monsters under the bed or in the closet. He had already rejected the believe in Consuela's evil curse.[7:1]

Thus there was no way to scare the tech producer of the greatest web show ever.

Alas, Fredward's talk about the non-existence of those monsters did nothing in order to calm down Henry and Dustin.

Freddie was annoyed. 'Dustin squeals worse than even Carly.'

Spencer told Freddie to be quiet. 'Maybe it's just a beavcoon[7:2] …'

Henry and Dustin were clueless.

Freddie explained, 'a beavcoon is a bastard of a beaver and a racoon, in Spenbcer's stray fantasy only, of course. I don't believe in that crap, I only believe in science.'

Spencer boomed, 'hey, beavcoons are not ghosts, They are just a rare brood.'

Freddie coughed. 'Whatever …'

The boys woke up.

The night had been fairly quiet.

Nothing was caught in Spencer's beavcoon trap.

Spencer smiled. 'You see? There was no monster.'

Dustin was nowhere near convinced. 'It may have needed a day of rest, like all of us …' He started shivering.

Spencer was now going to wake up Sam and Carly.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

Campus Court

******People**:

* * *

Spencer Shay, Stacey Dillsen (later), Carly Shay (later), Samantha Puckett (later), several randon pupils (background)

* * *

Spencer strolled the campus on his way to _Brenner Hall_. Almost there, he noticed a nowhere near complete-looking wooden construct. Being an artist, he wondered about the destination of the planks and logs. 'Maybe a beavcoon has build its new home here?' He scratched his chin.

Alas, there were voices from within the heap of wood.

Spencer was worried. 'Hello?'

Stacey's hed emerged from the wooden stuff.

Stacey stammered with a lispy voice, 'hello, I'm Stacey Dillsen from Swampscott in Massachusetts.' She was definitely not a beavcoon, but evidently fairly weird in some other ways.

Spencer was annoyed by Stacey's lisp. Nevertheless, he asked, 'do you need help?'

Stacey sighed. 'I'm trying to build a treehouse for Robbie Carmichael.'

Spencer chuckled. 'Cool! I've got a few tools in my car. I'm sort of an artist.'

Stacey beamed. 'I've already built a sculpture of the house, using only cotton swabs and Grizzly glue[7:3].'

Spencer was interested in seeing the sculpture.

Stacey smiled. She climmbed out of the wooden chaos. Then she waved at Sopencer and disappered in _Brenner Hall_ in order to fetch her cotton swab model.

Spencer circumspected the wooden construct, trying to imagine the complete treehouse.

At the same time, Sam and Carly left the building.

Spencer hugged them. 'How were your beds?'

Carly smiled. 'The beds were wonderful, but our roomie …' She was too polite to continue talking.

Sam thundered, 'Stacey is horrible. She sings all the time about sassafras tea.[7:4], and she complains about us getting too close to her cotton swabs.'

Spencer shrugged. 'Ah that Stacey … sorry, but I like her.'

Carly and Sam almost puked their guts out.

Stacey returned, carrying a model of a treehouse made of cotton swabs and glue.

Spencer's eyes bugged out. 'Wow! That is a great treehouse!'

Carly repeated Spencer's words sadistically.

Sam grabbed Carly's elbow. 'Come, let's look after Freddork.'

Carly nodded solemnly. 'Have fun with cotton swabs!'

Carly's voice was audibly sarcastical.

Spencer shrugged.

Stacey beamed. 'You're the first to like my cotton swab models.'

Spencer gasped. 'Certain people don't know what real art is …' He glared disapprovingly into Carly's general direction.

Sam and Carly were, fortunately, gone out of sight and out of the reach of Spencer's voice.

Spencer continued, 'OK, now, in order to build a treehouse, we need proper tools, such as a wheel of swinging hammers[7:5].'

Stacey wondered, 'what is that?'

Spencer explained, 'it's _a relentlessly spinning wheel with several hammers mounted_. It can be use to fire hammers upon nails several yards away.'

Stacey beamed. 'Cool! I definitely need that!'

Spencer clapped his hand. 'OK, I am going to fetch the monster.' He waved unto Stacey and walked away for his car.

Stacey shivered. 'The monster?'

Of course, Spencer had been talking about his wheel of spinning hammers.

But the monster under Dustin's bed was still in everyone's head.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

lounge of _Schneider Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Carly Shay, Samantha Puckett, Fredward Benson, Dustin Brooks, some random students (background)

* * *

The boys had already been waiting in the lounge.

Carly and Sam entered.

Freddie grunted, 'OK, we've come to LA for a skull of dingo. Now there's "a monster under his bed" and "Sam's twin-sister Melanie". How else do you try to fool me?'

Dustin blushed in Carly's presence.

Samantha giggled. 'Melanie should show up every other second. But I am the only "monster" Freddie will ever get to see.'

Dustin shivered.

Carly grabbed Dustin's wrists, making him blush to death. 'So, you are afraid of ghosts and curses, too?'

Dustin nodded timidly.

Carly sighed. 'It's a pity noone wants to understand us. Maybe we're less afraid when we hang out a bit together.' Carly smiled.

Dustin sighed with relief. 'Probably …'

Carly continued, 'my cousin Megan lives in Southern California. Her music may calm us down. Maybe she has got the time for a short visit?'

Dustin remarked, 'Robbie Carmichael, my standard roomie, is her neighbour in San Diego. Megan might show up for a short visit at the end of the vacations.'

Carly smiled. 'Cool! We look very much alike, you should know.'

Freddie exploded, 'OK, I've got enough of it all. Melanie, Megan … next time Spencer will have an identical cousin named, let's say, Steve,' thundered he in a sarcastic manner. Then he walked away.

Sam grunted, 'hey! Come back, Fraudword!' She shrugged. She shook her head. _Spencer was going insane over that Stacey wench, Carly over ghosts and curses, and now Freddie over certain relatives. Was she the only one remaining sane?_

* * *

**Chapter 8 Meganoid**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

two days later, early morning ere the rise of the sun

******Place**:

* * *

_101 Brenner Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Zoey Brooks, Nevel Papperman (later)

* * *

Zoey had not been sleeping very well.

Shelby was gone now. But she had taken Vince along.

Well, this was not to be understood literally.

But Lola was now heart-broken.

Zoey whispered, 'Lola so deserves it … why does she have to be afraid of sweating? Just a few daily minutes of jogging and gymnastics with Vince could have saved them.' But, of course, she was never going to tell Lola this the straight way. Inspite of looking down to her lazy roomie, she cared too much about Lola to say something. Zoey often wished this to be not the case. But she could not help it at all.

In addition, Quinn Pensky was now hell-bent to get her half-brother Nevel to stay here for a visit. She had never mentioned him explicitly to Lola or Zoey.

Zoey knew, 'this is not a good sign …'

Of course, Lola was not yet over the disappointment. She wished to have been keeping on hating Vince back upon his return to _Pacific Coast Academy_. Now she had to hate both Vince and her own little sister Shelby. She sobbed to no end.

Quinn yawned with mischief. _Her dumb roomies were so going to get what they deserved for hosting their recklessly annoying little siblings Shelby and Dustin._

Zoey tortured herself into getting up.

Usually, vacations were used in order to recover from the distress of school,

But these vacations had been the total opposit of recovery and regeneration.

Dustin's fears had not gone away.

For two nights straight, he had been wallowing almost naked in his ragged bed.

Quinn grinned.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Quinn went silently in order to look through the peep hole. 'Nevel!'

The door went open.

Quinn huggled her little half-brother green and blue.

Lola was consternated. She had hitherto never seen any dweeb worse than Mark del Figgalo. She floundered, gurgled, keeled over, and slumped ddown to the floor, resting unconscious.

Zoey started to care hypocritically about her roomie and best friend forever. Granted, she wasn't glad about the scary little boy's visit. _But Lola went too far. If Quinn had had a somewhat hot little brother, Lola would have reacted in a totally different manner. So much was for sure!_ Then she noticed the smell of vomit in Lola's mouth.

Nevel grinned. 'Good morning, ladies!'

Quinn introduced her roomied to Nevel. 'This is Zoey Brooks, the speaker of the seniors. And the carpet down there is Lola Martines, a Hollywood starlet … or at least she wants to be.'

Nevel grunted with dismay. 'Hollywood stars are dumb and annoying. May I marry Zoey? We would run a haberdashet together.'

Zoey gasped with disgust. She shook her head vigorously.

Quinn answered, 'maybe not right away. Zoey needs a few days to think about it.'

Nevel shrugged. 'OK, I'm waiting!'

Quinn smiled and ruffled Nevel's hair playfully.

Nevel grinned with glee.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

_99 Schneider Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Dustin Brooks, Henry Nolston, Robert Carmichael (later), Megan Parker (later), Quinn Pensky (later), Nevel Papperman (later)

* * *

It had been another night of ongoing nightmares for Dustin.

Not even Carly's promises to share his fears had been strong enough to lift Dustin's anguish.

Even more than the coast, Freddie's foul and disgusting excuses had annoyed him to no end.

It was the wind, or some shaky power line, or stuff like that.

Freddie's absence did not make it any better.

Henry had been a bit afraid, too. But he was not as much convinced of phantasms and nightstalkers as his roomie Dustin.

Today, Robbie Carmichael was expected back.

A fresh new treehouse was waiting for him.

Spencer and Stacey had been extremely busy during the last few days.

The house was rock solid.

Or so Spencer told. He had even been able to refrain from setting it involuntarily on fire.

There was something knocking at the door.

Dustin shivered and trembled from head to toes while walking to the door in order to open it.

Robbie stood on the other side. 'Sorry … I forgot my room keys …'

Dustin shrugged.

A girl in the likeness of Carly walked in. It was Megan Parker. But she did not exhibit Carly's sweet smile. Rather, she glared in a tricky and cunning manner.

Dustin and Henry were a bit scared.

Robbie introduced his neighbour's girl.

Megan grinned with mischief. 'So … that's where the ghost resides?'

Dustin nodded with a shivering throat.

Henry sighed. 'Unfortunately, Carly could not stay until today.'

Megan nodded solemnly. 'Maybe next summer break …' She shrugged. Then she unpacked her oboe. 'OK, I'm going to play a little tune in the evening jours to make you sleep better.'

Robbie wasnted to see his treehouse as fast as possible.

Henry nodded. 'Down to Spencer's help, Stacey has been really fast. Maybe they had invisible helpers?'

Megan cackled with abhorrent glee. 'Maybe?' She rubbed the case of her oboe.

They heard noises up the nearest staircase.

Dustinhid behind a bean bag.

Nevel and Quinn walked in.

Quinn grunted, 'Zoey is such an ungrateful wench …'

Nevel looked at Megan. 'Carly Shay, you're going to rue the day. Do you rue it? You rue it! Until dystopis will you rue it!'

Megan gasped. 'You're probably mega-paranoid! I'm not Carly! I'm her cousin. My name is Megan Parker.'

Nevel did not want to believe that. 'Hey! How do you dare to …'

Quinn introduced Nevel to Dustin, Henry, Robbie, and Megan.

Megan shrugged and grunted, 'OK, if I were Carly, would I do that …' She stepped up to Nevel, grabbed his head, and smooched him soundly on the cheeks.

Nevel blushed and was consternated.

Megan had heard a bit about Nevel. 'I do like your style. Maybe we can make a few other people rue the day … such as my boobish brothers Drake and Josh …'

Nevel was still dizzy.

Megan continued, 'OK, Nevel, you play the piano amd the recorder, right?'

Nevel nodded timidly.

Megan smiled. 'That's very good! Maybe we can play a little tune together and beguile the phantasm this way. It's much more efficient than a solo oboe without backup.'

Nevel grinned.

* * *

**Chapter 9 Finale**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

following night

******Place**:

* * *

_99 Schneider Hall_

******People**:

* * *

Nevel Papperman, Dustin Brooks, Megan Parker, Henry Nolston

* * *

Robbie was sleeping outdoors in his treehouse.

This left two cowards behind in _99 Schneider Hall_:

Dustin Brooks and Henry Nolston coward into a corner. They waited for Nevel Papperman's and Megan Parker's final performance.

Nevel had polished his recorder more than ever before.

Megan's oboe sparkled and glittered for suspense.

Dustin's teeth started rattling like a loose snake's tail.

Megan started performing the _Requiem_ by Giuseppe Verdi.

Nevel grinned while accompanying his new girlfriend with his old recorder.

The space underneath Dustin's bed started changing colours.

Dustin squeezed himself tighter into the opposite angle of the room.

Henry was the first to notice a green, oozing mass billowing forth and back underneeth Dustin's bed.

Dustin looked twice. 'Charles Galloway!'

Nevel interrupted his performance. He gave Megan a signal, a beacon to do the same. He knew, basically, about the events surrounding Charles Galloway. But he had not believed Quinn's report.

Megan sighed. She told Dustin, 'you may calm down : many ghosts may look like this … it's an ectoplasmatic phenomen.'

Dustin squealed even more. On the one hand, he did not know about ectoplasmatic stuff, on the other hand, he feared the presence of many more than just one phantasm, or whatever.

Nevel ordered the others to be silent. He whispered, 'the requiem has calmed the ghost. It is now not as dangerous as it used to be. Let me talk to him.' He talked to the ghost in Latin.

Dustin kept on shivering. He did not really understand Nevel's words, let alone the ghost's reply.

Henry hid cowardly under his blanket.

Finally, Nevel nodded.

The ghost disappeared.

At least the swirling green ooze was gone.

Dustin was still not feeling much of a relief.

The ghost may have chosen an even less visible shape for that matter.

Nevel started explaining. 'OK, Dustin … this campus here is doomed, until the time of dystopia.'

Dustin shivered.

Nevel shook his head. 'Hey, that's nothing to do with my troubles with Carlotta Shay …'

Dustin turned even more insecure.

Megan explained, 'do you know Consuela's evil curse?'

Dustin nodded timidly. 'A chain letter that has to do with a Latina deceased a few decades ago?'

Megan chuckled. 'It's known as such, but that's just a vulgar superstition. Really, Consuela's curse is much older than a few decades.'

Nevel boomed, '_consuelo_ means approximately the same as Aramaic _naum_. The _New Testament_ knows of a place named _Capernaum_, i.e. place of consolation, or of _consuelo_, if one wants to.'

Dustin shrugged almost carelessly. But he kept on trembling.

Nevel continued, 'this ties Consuela the rôle of Capernaum in the gospels.'

Dustin tried to read some sense into it. 'Ok, so the letter is tied to a chain letter aged like 2000 years? It has to do with someone that died back then in Capernaum?'

Megan chuckled mercilessly. 'Goodness! No! Capernaum is subject of a curse in the _Gospel according to Matthew_.'

Flabbergasted Dustin concluded, 'OK, I still don't get it … but I try to … the curse of Consuela is really the curse spoken by the Lord over the city of Capernaum, in said passage of the Gospel?'

Nevel nodded slowly. 'You're getting there. That's already remarkable.'

Dustin sighed.

Megan walked closer to Dustin. 'Listen, the Lord cursed the ungrateful city of Capernaum.'

* * *

And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

* * *

Dustin shivered more and more. 'but this is Malibu, not Capernaum …'

Nevel grinned. 'Capernaum should not be seen as a particular place, but as a symbolic name. Mighty works have been done generations ago on this site, the campius of the _Pacific Coast Academy_. But the pupils and staff have disregarded them. They stuck with their sins and perversity. Just look at Logan Reese. He indulges in capitalism and makes out with every girl in site, abusing, among others, my half-sister Quinn, although only those loose ones like Missy Meany, Dakota North[9:1], Alyssa Vaughn[9:2], Autumn Williams[9:3], Mandy Franklin[9:4]Maris Bingham, or Patty Perez are worthy of him. This corrupts the _Pacific Coast Academy_ to no end. The vicinity to Hollywood has triggered this curse. The holly is a sacred plant for the old druids. But Hollywood has become the epitome of capitalism and blasphemy.'

Dustin was like paralysed. For many years had he trusted Logan as a sort of friend, but only bease of being paid for it.

Only a year ago had this changed.

Logan had treated Dustin like dirt on several occasions, He insulted him in a mailbox message[9:5], and he abused him in order to hide his absurd relationship with Quinn Pensky[9:6].

Dustin started weeping.

Nevel and Megan continued, 'Logan is just one example in a long littany of Antichrists that dare to annihilates the divine works performed here generations ago. Charles Galloway had realised this fifty years ago. He has only seen one escape: The desert of desolation. He realised the demons at this school driving people like Logan Reese, leading to perversities like Logan dating my half-sister.'

Dustin almost passed out.

Megan sighed. 'Dustin? It isn't too late for you! Wake up …'

Dustin's eyes flickered dimly, no longer like a bright fire, but like a heap of ember and ashes.

Henry had been watching all of them aghast. 'When will all those horribly bad things happen to _Pacific Coast Academy_?'

Megan grinned. 'You'll never know in advance. Be ready any time!'

Henry shivered.

* * *

Dustin decided to follow his graduating sister Zoey and her friend Quinn to Seattle.

Zoey was going to work as a freelance fashion designer.

Quinn was going to work for the world's richest software vendor in Redmond near Seattle.

And, of course, Dustin was now totally close to his true love, Carly Shay.

The two of them were going to live merrily side by side, not forced to fear any ghost anymore, as they had refused to indulge in the sins of people like Logan Reese.

_**The End**_

* * *

** 1:1**:

* * *

cf. _Drake & Josh_ :_Little Diva_

**1:2**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Quarantine_

**1:3**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Drippin_

**1:4**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Curse At PCA_

**1:5**:

* * *

from _The iCarly Show_ : _iFight Shelby Marx_

**2:1**:

* * *

cf. _Drake & Josh_ : _Treehouse_ — here identified with Scooter in _Zoey 101_ : _Favor Chain_

**2:2**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Bad Girl_ — surname taken from same actor's rôle in _Grey Academy_, a show which I don't own

**2:3**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_: _Bad Girl_ — here identified with Melanie Puckett from _The iCarly Show_ : _iTwin_

**2:4**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ :_iDate A Bad Boy_

**3:1**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Lola Likes Chase_

**3:2**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iRue The Day_

**3:3**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iGive Away A car_

**3:4**:

* * *

cf. _Ned__'__s Declassified School Survival Guide_ : _Shyness_

**3:5**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Spring Fling_

**3:6**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iAm Your Biggest fan_

**3:7**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Curse of the PCA_

**4:1**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Silver Hammers_

**4:2**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Wrestling_

**5:1**:

* * *

cf. Millie, a cameo rôle in _Zoey 101_ : _Rollercoaster_ — surname chosen in agreement with same actress's rôle in _The Red Line_, a short film I don't own

**5:2**:

* * *

cf. _Drake & Josh_ : _Drake and Josh Go Hollywood_

**5:3**:

* * *

cf. _Victorious_ : _Birthweek Song_

**5:4**:

* * *

cf. _Spectacular!_

**5:5**:

* * *

Tammie in _Spectacular!_

**5:6**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Curse Of PCA_

**5:7**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iSpace Out_

**6:1**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iTake On Dingo_

**7:1**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iStage An Intervention_

**7:2**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iBelieve In Bigfoot_

**7:3**:

* * *

cf. _Victorious_ : _Tori The Zombie_

**7:4**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Good-Bye, Zoey!_

**7:5**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iWant To Stay With Spencer_

**9:1**:

* * *

cf. _True Jackson VP_ : _Babysitting Dakota_

**9:2**:

* * *

cf. _Victorious_ : _Jade Dumps Beck_

**9:3**:

* * *

cf. _Just Jordan_, second season

**9:4**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Chasing Zoey_

**9:5**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Anger Management_

**9:6**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Chasing Zoey_


End file.
